Friends recall Adams’ devotion to football

Tennessee Titans owner K.S. “Bud” Adams, the longtime Houston resident whose death at age 90 was announced Monday, was remembered fondly by colleagues and friends who spanned his lifetime in pro football.

Adams, who founded the Oilers in 1960 as one of the charter teams of the American Football League and moved the franchise to Tennessee after the 1996 season, died at his home in River Oaks from what was believed to be natural causes.

“Bud Adams played a pivotal role in the growth of pro football as a pioneer and innovator,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “(He) saw the potential of pro football and brought the game to new cities and new heights of popularity, first in Houston and then in Nashville.

“He was a brilliant entrepreneur with a terrific sense of humor that helped lighten many a tense meeting. His commitment to the best interests of the game and league was unwavering, and his personal along with the team’s impact in community relations and philanthropy set a standard for the NFL.”

Founding member

Adams was part of the “Foolish Club,” the name given the group he led along with Lamar Hunt of Dallas in founding the AFL. Another charter member, Bills owner Ralph Wilson, cited their “common bond and deep sense of pride” in the AFL.

“I am remembering with great fondness all the laughs we shared with the special memories over the years,” Wilson said. “Through it all, our teams played some of the most memorable games in AFL and NFL history.”

Clark Hunt, Lamar Hunt’s son and chairman of the Kansas City Chiefs, said his father and Adams “enjoyed a friendship that spanned five decades and saw the emergence of pro football as America’s game. Our family will always appreciate Bud’s spirited and enthusiastic support of my father’s ‘foolish’ idea.”

At the other end of Adams’ NFL career was former Titans quarterback Vince Young, who paid his respects via Twitter.

“Bud was my guy he believed in me and was like a father to me #Love-YouBud,” Young wrote. “Bud … I can’t believe it, you will be truly missed by many. You opened a lot of doors for me and opportunity in my life I’m gonna miss you!”

Former Texans executive Tony Wyllie, who worked for the Titans when Tennessee played in Super Bowl XXXIV, said Adams mixed “unconditional love and passion for his team” with generosity, including six-figure charitable contributions following 1998 tornadoes in Nashville and Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.

Ironic passings

Adams’ years with the Oilers will be defined by many for his firing after the 1980 season of coach Bum Phillips, who died Friday, also at age 90. But former Oilers QB Gifford Nielsen, an elder with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said he thinks, on some plane, Bud and Bum have made up.

“It’s ironic that they passed away within days of each other,” Nielsen said. “Knowing Bum’s loving and kind heart, he probably welcomed Bud to the other side with open arms.”